Bayer pays fine but says it did nothing wrong
Share with others:
Bayer Corp. will pay a $3.2 million fine to settle claims of false advertising involving its One-A-Day WeightSmart multivitamins.
The Robinson-based U.S. unit of Germany's Bayer AG is one of a group of sellers of weight-control pills that will pay a total $25 million in fines under an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission. The other products include TrimSpa, which was promoted by actress and former Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith, as well as CortiSlim and Xenadrine EFX .
The FTC said ads and infomercials that claimed the products were effective in weight control and weight loss were not supported by evidence. The agency also said some of the ads did not mention that the individuals paid to endorse the products had dieted and exercised to help lose weight.
FTC spokeswoman Jacqueline Dizdul said the money collected from the settlements will be used for refunds to consumers. The companies may continue to manufacture the products.
In the case of Bayer, the FTC claimed it marketed One-A-Day WeightSmart as a product that contains a green tea extract that helps increase metabolism and helps users control their weight. But Bayer provided no scientific evidence to support its ads, the FTC said.
In a statement issued yesterday from its Consumer Care Division in Morristown, N.J., that markets One-A-Day, Bayer HealthCare said it stands behind the vitamin and that it can substantiate claims about its effectiveness.
Although it did not admit any wrongdoing, Bayer said it agreed to the settlement "in order to expeditiously resolve" the FTC complaint.
The company also said it disagrees with the FTC's description of it as "a major marketer of weight-loss pills" because, Bayer said, One-A-Day WeightSmart "is not a weight loss product."
First Published January 5, 2007 12:00 am
